1. Field of the Invention
The present invention generally relates to an information management system and more specifically to an information management system, method, and program for managing links or associations between pieces of information in different domains.
2. Description of Related Art
Traditionally, in the industries of automobile, electric machinery, aerospace, defense, and the like, products are generally complicated and composed of many components. The design of a single product requires involvement of many domains (organizations) such as machinery, electricity, system design, software, and testing. Even with many separate organizations, components must eventually be integrated into a single product. Accordingly, pieces of data must be linked between the domains.
FIG. 1 is a diagram showing an example of the associations between different domains in an automobile manufacturer. As seen in FIG. 1, pieces of data are linked together between different domains: system model, requirement management, control analysis, CAD, electric/electronic circuit, component configuration management, and installed software.
However, since pieces of data are associated with each other between the domains on an ad hoc basis, it is difficult to secure the traceability of the entire integrated product or perform impact analysis. One of the causes of such difficulties is that experts are using different tools in the different domains. To eliminate this cause, a unified tool is preferably used among all the domains. Unfortunately, the experts in the domains desire to use the tools they are accustomed to use. Further, the function that the tool is required to have varies depending on the domains. In reality, the tools are difficult to unify.
For this reason, a technology is desired where information can be managed using the existing tool in each domain and which presents a view across an entire product by centrally managing only pieces of information associated between the domains and thus facilitates collaboration between the experts. FIG. 2 shows an outline of such a desired technology. Specifically, an inter-data link management function 210 as shown in FIG. 2 is desired that provides a view 212 of the associations between pieces of information in domains 202, 204, 206, and 208.
In Japanese Patent Application No. 2010-165620, a technique for linking pieces of data between domains. However, this technique is insufficient to perform data linkage and link management in such a manner that the security of domain data is protected, in situations where multiple organizations and/or corporations are involved in the development of a product.
Further, for example, Seth Proctor, Rebekah Lepro, Dennis Kafura, Sumit Shah, “First experiences using XACML for access control in distributed systems,” Proceeding XMLSEC '03 Proceedings of the 2003 ACM workshop on XML security proposes performing access control using XACML when data is placed as distributed in a distributed system. By using XACML, there is also provided an access propagation technique for propagating link information to the host node when data is placed in graph form.
However, even this XACML technique disadvantageously fails to change a data view including a link on the basis of a determination of access permission while maintaining consistency.
A. Fiat and M. Naor, Broadcast Encryption, Crypto'93, LNCS 773, 1993 discloses a technology that allows secure information to be transmitted to a receiver whose central broadcasting site is designated while minimizing transmission of information related to key management.
Accordingly, it is an object of the present invention to properly provide a view including a link in accordance with access permission when pieces of data are linked between domains.
It is another object of the present invention to make it possible to know on the hierarchy the existence of a link, as well as data to which data serving as a link source belongs and data to which data serving as a link destination belongs, even when none of the data serving as a link source and the data serving as a link destination is directly accessible.
According to the present invention, it is possible to perform data linkage and link management in such a manner that the security of domain data is protected, in situations where multiple corporations are involved in the development of a product. Thus, the associations between pieces of product information of different corporations can centrally be managed.
Even when the referrer cannot access any of data serving as a link source or data serving as a link destination, the referrer can know on the hierarchy the existence of a link, as well as data to which the data serving as a link source belongs and data to which the data serving as a link destination belongs. The information is properly disclosed as long as the security is maintained. Even when the intended data is insufficient, the referrer can perform tasks such as impact analysis.
The referrer can know the existence of data which is insufficient for the purpose, as well as an element to which the data belongs. The referrer can request the data owner to permit reference or can negotiate with the data owner for providing of binary instead of source. The present invention provides a mechanism for generating a view including a link under the assumed limitations in such a manner that the designation of the authorized party is satisfied.